Protective mat and tray for cosmetics

ABSTRACT

The invention claimed herein and depicted in FIGS.  1  through  4  presents a Protective Mat and Tray for Cosmetics. Tray shell  2  consists of a molded platform featuring a plurality of side compartments  8  disposed along its sides and a plurality of rear compartments  10  disposed along its rear edge. The flat central portion of tray shell  2  forms tray  6,  which accommodates disposable protective mat  4  that can be dispensed from mat refill  14.  Elevated edge of said tray&#39;s front edge forms lip  12.  Protective mat  4  consists of a flat sheet of flexible, absorbent material such as paper, which can be textured, imprinted and produced in single sheets or as length of multiple sheets separated via perforations (FIG.  1 ). Mat 4 may also be produced with a secondary layer of moisture impervious material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is preceded by provisional patent U.S. Ser. No.60/592,771 filed on Aug. 2, 2004 which embodies the present design.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE OR A COMPUTER LISTING COMPACTDISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to devices that: (a) protect work surfaces suchas bathroom vanities; and (b) hold cosmetics during application. Pastinventions have demonstrated a variety of table covers and table-topcaddies. Stepanek U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,539 discloses a self-adheringceremonial table mat that is rolled for storage. Rahe U.S. Pat. No.6,116,167 shows a table mat that wraps around the top and bottomsurfaces of a table. Sussman U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,430 shows a tray withreplaceable modules containing make-up. Donnell U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,312discloses a manicure mat consisting of a foam mat with slots designed toreceive nail polish bottles. None of these references provide anattractive double-layered protective surface for countertops during theuse of cosmetics, while allowing cosmetics to be conveniently organizedand moved.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention consists of the following components as depicted in FIGS.1 through 4. Tray shell 2 consists of a molded platform featuring aplurality of side compartments 8 disposed along its sides and aplurality of rear compartments 10 disposed along its rear edge. The flatcentral portion of tray shell 2 forms tray 6, which accommodatesdisposable protective mat 4 that can be dispensed from mat refill 14.Elevated edge of said tray's front edge forms lip 12. Tray shell alsofeatures a flat face 20 along the top of its rear or side walls, and/orthe dividing wall between tray and rear compartments, which is ofsufficient width to allow emblazoning of graphics. The design of trayshell 2 allows it to be easily fabricated from vacuum-formed orinjection molded plastic. Protective mat 4 consists of a flat sheet offlexible, absorbent material such as paper, which can be textured,imprinted and produced in single sheets or as length of multiple sheetsseparated via perforations. Mat 4 may also be produced with a secondarylayer of moisture impervious material. The description herein isintended to present the preferred embodiment of this invention andshould not be construed as imposing limitations on the scope of saidinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 depicts an overhead view of the component parts of the invention.

FIG. 2 depicts an overhead view of the invention while in use.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional side view of the tray with matinstalled.

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional rear view of the tray without matinstalled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This device is used by placing tray shell 2 onto a horizontal surfaceand dispensing a protective mat 4 from mat refills 14. Protective mat 4is placed onto tray 6 and cosmetics are placed onto said mat while inuse. Cosmetics 16 and related supplies 18 can be stored in sidecompartments 8 and rear compartments 10. Protective mat 4 is held inplace on tray 6 via elevated inner walls of said side and rearcompartments and lip 12, which together extend around the periphery oftray 6. Tray shell 2 and protective mat 4 can also be used independentlyof each other to protect a work surface.

1. A storage device for facilitating the use of cosmetics consisting of:a) a tray, formed from a rigid material, featuring a flat centralsection surrounded by elevated side walls and posterior wall; b) opencompartments formed from recessed center portions of the aforementionedelevated side and rear walls; c) an elevated lip forming an anteriorwall of the aforementioned tray's central section.
 2. A storage deviceof claim 1 which includes: a) an mat formed of an absorbent materialfeaturing sufficient dimensions to fit onto the flat central section ofthe aforementioned tray and a surface which can be imprinted withgraphic elements; b) the aforementioned mat, configured as a singledisposable sheet, or as a plurality of sheets that can be suppliedfolded or on a roll whereby individual sheets can be separated viaperforations for use within the tray. c) a flat ledge formed by the topedge of the side or rear tray walls, or the anterior wall of the rearcompartment, which is of sufficient planar dimension to allow affixingor imprinting of graphic elements. d) the aforementioned mat, which canbe produced with a single layer of absorbent material or with asecondary layer of moisture impervious material.